Where evidence meets policy

Tax and the perception gap

Almost 70% of us believe that the well off pay a larger percentage of their income in tax than those in the lowest income brackets, according to a new survey undertaken for the Equality Trust. The reality is different; a household in the bottom 10% pays 43% of its income in tax whilst average and wealthy households pay just 35%. The same poll revealed that four out of five people believe that the higher earning households should be paying more.